The Not So Good Shepherds

So, somebody's sheep gets stuck on a ledge above a quarry in Britain. The owner calls the emergency phone number and reports it. Firemen are sent on a mission to rescue the animal. A whole lot of firemen. 40 of them to be precise.

The emergency services received a 999 call when the animal got trapped on a ledge above a flooded quarry in Bacup, Lancashire.

The sheep's owner was amazed when seven fire crews were sent to his aid.

They performed a delicate, two-hour operation involving a team using wetsuits and an inflatable boat.

Three fire crews were sent 30 miles from Preston, while others arrived from four different stations in the area, including Bacup's own local crew.

A fire service spokesman said: "Incidents near water have health and safety issues.

"The numbers sent weren't there to ensure the sheep was rescued but that no firefighters were injured."

It boggles the mind. 40 firefighters took two hours to rescue a sheep. But then, we are talking about the folks who let their own firehouses burn down. They have much to be sheepish about.